Why does the Times even print such garbage?
This was one case among hundreds of thousands! It’s not even clear if this isn’t a case of mistaken identity, and even this man did do regrettable things in Iraq, he hasn’t done anything of the sort since becoming a US citizen. Plus, the mention of his more than a dozen siblings implies that they were also terrorists, and that they might have migrated here.
In short, articles like this only serve to fuel the fires of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and support Trump’s racist and hateful policies against asylum, refugees, and easy access to the United States.
In Europe, such articles only appear in tabloids. The major respectable journals don’t even run them! Politicians don’t discuss it, and as a result Europe has taken a more progressive view until recently of refugees from the Mid East and Africa. We need to do the same here. We need to do better than this!!!
4
I can't get shampoo on a plane and this ISIS murderer somehow manages to stroll into our country.
18
Thanks, Obama, and Thank You, Trump!
10
"Mr. Ameen concealed his identity as a member of terrorist groups and lied about his background and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Iraq, painting himself as a victim of violence, according to court documents. As a result, his refugee application was approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on June 5, 2014"
If an ISIS killer can fool US Immigration into thinking he's a refugee than virtually anyone - criminals, drug runners, gang members, terrorists - showing up at the Southern Border can claim they're 'fleeing violence' and make their way in
13
What a minute! I thought that the Obama administration claimed that they thoroughly vetted all refugees?
I'm waiting for the MSNBC and CNN headline about how cruel and abusive the Trump administration is for separating this man from his family. Perhaps Rachel Maddow will even shed a tear.
14
And yet Iraqi translators who sacrificed to help US military cannot get immigration visas.
18
Several commenters here claim that fraud among those seeking refugee & asylee status here & abroad is such a rare occurrence that this case is "one in a million." But those who work with refugees (as I did for a decade) know that lying & fraud are unfortunately widespread. Humans lie all the time, & those applying for refugee status are no different - they're simply more desperate.
Two examples from just this week:
On Aug. 10, a M-F couple in Arizona with official US refugee status were arrested on multiple counts of lying to US immigration authorities about their true identities & involvement in Islamic terrorism. The couple claimed to be Somali but apparently are really Ethiopian, & the male is believed to have been a member of Somali terrorist group al-Shabab.
In the UK, news has leaked out that the Sudanese asylee who on Tuesday rammed his car into pedestrians & cyclists in a presumed terror attack outside Westminster was being investigated by the Home Office for "irregularities" in his visa & citizenship applications. This might be one reason he was trying to get help from Sudanese embassy authorities in London to return to Sudan.
In the US refugee program, fraud has been so widespread among applicants from Africa that in 2008 the US Dept. of State had to discontinue family relocation for refugees already in the US from Somalia, Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia and Cote d'Ivoire, among others.
The "one in a million" claim is inaccurate & naive.
21
I am sure there are mistakes made in granting asylum and in denying asylum. It took a while, but the sytem worked. And this mistake would not have been corrected by a border wall.
8
Hmm.. May be Trump is on to something on refugee entry and illegal immigration after all! Of course his message delivery style is awful, manages to alienate those in the middle of even left of center on this topic.
If this can happen in the US, I wonder what the situation is in Europe where they are much more relaxed about refugee claims, guess Europeans will pay for their stupidity but I don't want us Americans fall in the same liberal delusional trap.
15
Those responsible for letting this guy in need to be fired & investigated as possible threats to America.
13
So this is the result of that "incredible and thorough" vetting that obama talked about? Abolish or reform the corrupt Refugee Resettlement Program along with all the other "programs" that allow murderers and other low lifes into our country, under the guise of "compassion". Problem is, the "compassionate ones" don't know what the heck they are doing and are simply out for the taxpayers dollars that go along with these programs.
19
California is getting up there with Florida in terms of outlandishness.
4
Meaning what?
2
@LR its a federal matter, not a state matter Einstein.
2
And building a wall on the Southern border would have kept this guy out, right?
15
Open borders and refugee inflow, who is loosing out? America and American citizens. Fake press and Democrats care only about refugees and illegals. They have nothing to offer for American Citizens!
20
@Sam I guess you haven't been following the Democrat's long-time push for universal health care for all Americans, protecting your Medicare and Social Security from being gutted, regulations for air and water standards for the health of your family, banking and Wall Street regulations to prevent another 2008 meltdown. ALL of those safeguards protecting Republicans, Democrats, and all other citizens, are being torn down by your president and Mitch McConnell while you scream "fake news".
15
If the press is so fake, why is this story getting reported?
7
And liberals want to abolish ICE, LOL.
20
@M ICE didn't catch him, the FBI did. Trump would be happy to abolish the FBI. What's the cutesy phone code for "Sick to My Stomach"?
10
Please deport the entire family
26
Many ignorant comments about "sanctuary city." Local law enforcement cooperates fully with federal agencies if there is reasonable suspicion of a crime. Yes, even in San Francisco or Sacramento.
7
Again, it is obvious the immigration and refugee system has shortcomings and pitfalls. Most disturbing is that this man committed the murder AFTER he was approved for US immigration and that he was a recognized AQ//ISIS person of note. It a\should not be too difficult to cross check names and records. There are only 3,000 people per month to check. This could be a full time job for a couple people to verify and cross check names. The US military budget is 800mm per year. 2 o3 full time civil servants could cross check those names in a very cost effective fashion. Govt staffing and priorities are backward.
11
For that reason alone I clearly prefer Trump over Obama.
20
Wow. President Trump generally comes across as an ill-formed and crass blowhard. But maybe he was right about the need for increased vetting of refugees. This case seems to point that way.
24
No one wants to face the real cost ot vetting immigrants, going to their home countries, taking depositions, interviewing, witnesses, compiling all their records etc etc etc
10
Despite being a lying, cheating, deceiving criminal, he was discovered before he blew anyone up here. I'd say score a big one for the USA, great again or not.
18
and here it is for those wondering how anyone could support Trump. We have been fed a bunch of lies that it is nearly impossible for the bad people to get in. The US population in the 1900's when we became an "immigrant nation" was less than 100 million. Now 326 million. We DO NOT NEED more people. The planet DOES NOT NEED MORE PEOPLE.
This summer climate change is ravaging many parts of the globe.
Soon there will be "climate change refugees" in addition to all the other ones.
It is time to re-think Immigration
17
@Zenster You have no idea how many "bad people" got in...and no one said it was next to impossible. When people want to game the system, they can be incredibly inventive. Look at the Liar in Chief and his cronies.
3
Ameen will be interrogated in Iraq. Their methods are somewhat different than ours.
It can be expected that one result of that process will be the naming of others of his ilk living among us, who can then be deported to face the same treatment.
Do not believe for a moment that Ameen's presence here is unique. It is critical to our safety that they all be discovered and dealt with.
30
How in the world did an Isis killer enter the US? It seems even under Trump we have open borders or lack security. And, how many more are here? With Isis in the US what mass killing are they planning? Maybe the FBI can begin to recover its reputation by getting something right here.
5
A good part of this article takes the liberty of shaming and belittling the Federal government for "failure" to catch this guy, getting in the dig that the FBI has been following him for 2 years but was a known commodity in Iraq for 10 years. Why does the Times continually stoop to the blame game as if attempting to placate some hypothetical screaming hothead who they fear might accuse them of not being sufficiently smug and dismissive of the Federal government.
5
We have a similar problem here in Canada with regard to Canadians who went over to fight for ISIS. However, when they return, Canada appears to be doing nothing!
24
There are plenty of evil people all over the world. There are plenty of evil native born Americans. Certainly we should vet refugees as well as we can, but I don't think they could conceivably make us worse than we already were.
7
Sacramento? I am surprised that California Democrats/Progressives did not offer him sanctuary status and a voter registration form.
65
@Carlos R. Rivera Carlos, look into the mirror and then think deeply about how the Trump-Pence-GOP gang would treat YOU ! The GOP, including CA GOP has a very long history of racism - illegally sending deputies to remove homeless from rail cars entering CA during the depression, John Birch Society, America First, and the ever present abuse of rights by far too many police (GOP consistently attempts to provide cops with carte blanche to do as they wish, and they do so against non-whites more than whites).
Count your blessing for living in CA not rural fly-over states.
4
give them time; they'll probably sue Trump to prevent his extradition! @Carlos R. Rivera
11
@Carlos R. Rivera. It is only surprising if you believe the narrative that the conservative media paints the liberals. Point in fact, in 2017 the Economist/YouGov poll showed almost 50% of Republicans believed that "leaked email from some of Hillary Clinton's campaign staffers contained code words for pedophilia, human trafficking and satanic ritual abuse," Want for examples?
5
It is disconcerting that the USCI wasn't aware of the CIA data on Ameen : he was a known terrorist for a decade. The USCI should be working in tandem with the CIA/FBI.
Thanks to the careful work of the CIA/FBI Ameen was apprehended and will (hopefully) be expediently extradited to face charges.
Trumps disregard for the CIA and FBI undercuts their work. I am grateful the agencies are still functioning under Trumps extraordinarily sloppy leadership. This is an alarming case. And Ameen was a terrorist attack waiting to happen.
37
When people present themselves without documents, without any real history about who they are and only their word that they are worthy of refugee status some criminals can get through the vetting system. It is most unfortunate. No vetting system is perfect. Countries such as Iraq are still facing daily attacks by suicide bombers and the ongoing efforts to rid themselves of hostile forces. At least he is being removed and sent back to Iraq to face a court for his terrorist activity. He will rot in jail no doubt.
19
Unfortunately, we cannot seem to have an honest conversation about immigration or cultural differences.
One poster wrote that this was "a one in a million human error."
We have no data on how many fake refugees are here. It could be 1 in a million, it could be 1 in 10. We have no idea.
A case like this is not a reason to refuse admission to other refugees, but we also need to take it seriously.
This man is a well-known ISIS and al-qaeda terrorist who came here a as a refugee.
Al Shabab (terrorist group in Somalia) is successfully recruiting Minnesotan Somalis to leave MN and go fight in Africa. These kids get free housing, free health care, free education... and yet they become radicalized and decide to join a terror group. when it happens: we blame ourselves. but what else can we do?
In Germany in 2015/2016 approximately 1,200 German women were sexually assaulted over the New Year's Holiday, allegedly by mobs of asylum seekers and illegal entrants. This was the flash point that sunk Merkel in the polls, putting her entire Chancellorship in jeapordy
We on the Left ignore these stories at our peril... it is part of what gives Trump his power.
It is true that America thrives based on our diversity. However: we also must understand that bringing diversity can bring serious challenges, especially if the newer entrants do not believe in women's rights, gay rights, democracy, or other concepts that Americans may hold dear.
126
@JRMW
It is true that America thrives based on our diversity. However: we also must understand that bringing diversity can bring serious challenges, especially if the newer entrants do not believe in women's rights, gay rights, democracy, or other concepts that Americans may hold dear.
You nailed it. I welcome anyone who wants to come here legally by going through immigration process, learn to speak English, work hard, show respect for our Constitution and the rule of law and live at peace with all kinds of people. I'm totally opposed to those who aren't willing to do that. Being an American citizen is a privledge that which comes with certain rights and responsibilities. It is not and never was a "universal human right" freely bestowed on all human beings
59
@JRMW
Diversity. diversity, diversity. It's a new religious postulate. Diversity is not good and it is not bad. It's just one of the possible circumstances. Is there a PROOF that diversity is better than a kindred community?
Isn't it even an insult to claim that a people of one country is better that a people of other and the other must change?
Is a place with four seasons better than Florida? Is Florida better that a place with four seasons? Neither.
Please stop the new religion, please be honest.
34
@JRMW,
many of humankind's most important inventions, writing, mathematics,business,medicine, philosophy,and law were made in large diverse cities with spaces where people with somewhat different ways of doing things could meet, challenge, and learn from each other. the people living in kinship based neolithic villages perfected the plant and animal breeding necessary to feed larger groups, and the religious beliefs that could sustain them, and perhaps other things that we don't know about because they didn't write them down.
1
The man has been found out and will be dealt with accordingly. Do not lose focus. We must now ferret out the Russian agents and trolls threatening our elections. They are the more immediate and much larger threat to our security. This need not become a distraction.
29
@John Warnock
Yes, mandatory voter ID is a good first step to combat that.
12
With all of our security and screening how does an ISIS murderer escape Iraq, a country that W ruined, wind up in California, of all places?
17
@MIKEinNYC
Very progressive towards people of his background and it being a sanctuary state and all.
8
Don't lose sight of the fact that he applied for and got his visa, committed the murder and then made his escape before anyone was the wiser.
10
@MIKEinNYC
My best guess is that he learned that Calif is a "sanctuary" state and he believed he would like the culture.
9
We are fed this narrative by the refugee industry that refugees are the most vetted people and that no terrorist would ever go through the years long process to get into the US. Well that narrative has been blown out of the water. There have also been multiple terror related convictions with refugees (See MN for most recent) that have been brought to the US on the American taxpayers’ dime. I think it’s about time to pause this program. When you import people from troubled areas, they often bring their problems with them.
78
@Altered Carbon
Refugees are people. As such, you have, and always will have some who are problems.But if you look at at the data from the over 3 million refugees who have been admitted legally to the U.S. since this program’s inception the percentage who commit crimes are well below that of native born Americans.
There are only a handful of cases such as this one where a refugee is associated with terrorism. The vast majority are people who have gone through horrific trauma and are forever grateful for the opportunity to begin a new life in the U.S.
By your logic, we should not only shut down the refugee program, but completely close off the United States and deny any type of visa to visitors. For, empirically, that has posed a much greater threat—for example the 9/11 terrorists.
The reality is we live in a violent world—one in which you as a U.S. citizen are exponentially more likely to be killed in a school shooting or at the hands of a native born American than a refugee.
Of course we need to be vigilant and to continuously monitor and improve systems that permit tourists, business travelers, students, and yes refugees into the United States. But to denigrate the many thousands of Americans representing religious organizations, humanitarian agencies, and non-affiliated Americans who seek to help people suffering from extreme cases of violence and persecution by referring to them as an “industry” exposes more bias than understanding.
4
I have always felt that a case could be made for supporting Trump's travel ban. On many levels it made sense. The problem, of course, is Mr. Trump. He is simply incapable of presenting an argument or position in a reasoned, rational way. Instead what we get are a stream of hyperbole, invective and insults. His base might love this, but for the rest of us, it leaves us wanting a president who understands the seriousness of his office and will comport himself appropriately.
69
@JohnM
Yes John, you nailed it. I am a moderate conservative and support a lot of the Pres's directions but geeeeezzz Donald! Be quiet for a day or two.
8
So what's he been doing all these years? Knitting?
23
Just as was the case for nazis after World War II and every post-war refugee flow, there always will be a limit on the vetting a Washington bureaucracy can ever do on the 6 billion people who live in more than 200 countries around the world. This is why I oppose "refugee immigration." How are you more deserving as an immigrant because you were abused or shot at earlier in your life. We need to focus on bringing peace to the world and rebuilding war zones, but when it come to immigration. We should limit this from countries where we have a presence on the ground and the means to verify information. Moreover, they should be refugees that are ready to join a high-tech driven America where you have to first prove you hold similar contemporary values (ie. on issue of women or sexual minority rights).
23
His entry was an error, a one in a million human error. It should not have happened. The process should be reviewed and improved.
It is not a reason to not admit Iraqi, Syrian, Afghani translators who worked for USG, to not admit victims of violence in Guatemala, and thousands of other applicants.
I'm disappointed and surprised by the comments so far.
21
@joan I would like to know where you get the statistic "one in a million." I agree with you that this is "not a reason to not admit Iraqi, Syrian, Afghani translators who worked for USG, to not admit victims of violence in Guatemala, and thousands of other applicants," but I doubt very much that we are looking at a case of "one in a million."
34
@joan
It could be 1 in 10, or it could be 1 in 100.
How do we know ?
Thee other terrorists are not identified and caught(yet).
6
The real story here is:" his refugee application was approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on June 5, 2014."
I ask that the press (NYT et al) keep digging with this agency to find out what really happened. This is a good use of Congressional oversight and hearings so we can improve the system.
No system will be 100% full proof. Unless we go to the extreme of not allowing any refugees in (which is illegal given the treaties we sign and organizations we belong to), we will always get leakage. With freedom comes danger.
The other story is to gather data regarding how often this (improper vetting) happens. Is this 0.1% of the time or 10% of the time? It would help to keep this in perspective.
22
Too bad there isn't a companion piece to this article that highlights the countless refugee success stories against this one that slipped through the cracks. Unfortunately, our vetting process is like an offensive line in football... we only notice them when they aren't doing their job.
12
@J
Over the past 10-15 years, I've read multiple NYT stories about refugees who came to the United States and were able to forge productive and successful lives.
You would probably be able to find some of them via the NYT's 'search' option.
Thanks
1
Isn't Sacramento a sanctuary city?
29
How come Obama wasn't at the border vetting this guy? See it happened during Obama's reign. it's all Obama's fault. Actually more to the point; how dangerous is this guy now? Was he planning an ISIS attack? It doesn't sound like it. Not that i'm saying he should get off scot free.
4
This is exactly the scenario Trump cites for the banning of refugees from volatile unstable middle eastern and African countries.
77
@Martin X
Hmmm...Well...Martin, Maybe he has a point?
2
This is one of a multitude of fake refugees. I would be shocked if anyone is surprised that asylum seekers or refugees lie when they show up at our borders.
79
@Rich That's a broad brush statement. Don't recall refugees from Bosnia & Serbia receiving such heightened criticism
6
@sharptongue
and you don't hear about Bosnia/Serbia blotting anything here either
1
@sharptongue It was meant to be broad brush. I did not mention countries nor religions.
Well, well - I am surprised by comments below condemning this "vetting" process when most heavily criticized the 45th for putting a temporary halt to determine if current vetting was sufficient.
Indeed, if anything we can learn from Europe is vigilance is required when admitting so called refugees.
Recent terrorist attack in London is just one more example.
As an immigrant to America, I sometimes think I even have a more special bond to the country.
And folks abusing our hospitality to hide their crimes - and in this case outright hostility to America - should be stopped overseas and not at home.
While I applaud government efforts to deport and extradited him - knowing recent cases of difficulties with deportations - I am expecting that he has already fathered a US born child. And that child will how be used by many do gooders and ambulance chasing lawyers to that our efforts to bring this man to Justice.
We have not heard a last of him.
58
With their precious little "caliphate" crumbled and gone, expect to find more of these war criminals hiding in western countries, trying to live the good life in nations they once demonized. Treat them like Nazi war criminals; give them to the people who will administer justice. This is one of those rare deportation stories with a happy ending.
101
@Jim I wouldn't go that far. Each so call terrorist needs to be looked at on a case by case basis. Some may see themselves as patriots. Some may have had their families killed by American bombs.What would you do in that situation, praise America? Don't be so fast to pass blanket judgment. That said I agree this strengthens Trump's pause on refugee immigration (except for women and children).
1
@Ed
"Some may see themselves as patriots. Some may have had their families killed by American bombs."
So this excuses them for murder as members of a terrorist group?
3
While no fan of the man, this is one case where Trump was right.
Imagine how many more ISIS members have slipped into Europe as part of that vast wave of immigrants?
108
@frank it’s true - I was just in Sweden, Germany, and Norway and have seen the mistakes they made taking in that many potential terrorists
10
Obama's lack of concern for the safety of Americans and his pro-terrorist policies enabled this killer to enter the United States. Trump is 100% correct the vetting process must be robust.
71
@Jimd. It’s telling, however, that this killer has committed no terrorism despite having been in the US 4 years.
The vetting process under Obama was actually very strict. Trump’s official vetting process is no different. He just wants to stop all refugees from entering the US.
20
If this man was a 'known quantity in Iraq' for 10 years then clearly, the 'vetting process' America is using is flawed.
It's important to not conclude that because one extremist managed to worm his way into a 'refugee' status, this doesn't mean that all persons who enter the US and are qualified as refugees are ISIS or Al Qaeda affiliations.
Certainly, intelligence experts in the US need to check information from the person's home country as well as those places where he has traveled and face recognition software should be a part of this search.
29
After reading this article that just confirms what we have known for years . We cannot say he slipped through the cracks. We must accept that he is not the only one . Isis ? al Qaeda. ? Why does he want to live here where his thinking and actions are alien to what America. Stands for . I don't have answers. We must band together and have stricter vetting anyone it seems can say what he did to come here. And yes he needs to face justic in his own country. The Justice he understands
75
@heather
Just imagine. The US did a much better job than Germany. To get into Germany all you have to do is ask.....and show up. 90 percent of the arrivals throw their ID away.....but not their cell phones. These people need to fight for their own countries. They add nothing to the US or Germany. Recently Osama Bin Ladin's bodyguard was brought back to Germany from Tunisia after years of trying to get him out of Germany. He had filed an appeal. Trump, as bad as he is, probably has the right idea. If this guy was in Germany he would never be sent back......because of the death penalty in Iraq which he may well get.
6